Political Notes Giuliani Regime Nears End as a Top Protege Resigns

By FRANK LYNN

Published: October 23, 1988

The beginning of the end of the Rudolph W. Giuliani regime in Foley Square was signaled last week with the resignation of Howard Wilson, who was chief of the criminal division in the United States Attorney's office and was Mr. Giuliani's choice to succeed him until he was vetoed by Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato.

Mr. Wilson, who prosecuted the Wedtech case and, according to Mr. Giuliani, was involved ''in every major case in this office,'' was viewed as Mr. Giuliani's alter ego. He is joining Rosenman & Colin, where among other matters he will handle ''our expanding white-collar crime practice,'' the law firm said.

Mr. D'Amato's opposition to Mr. Wilson's promotion led to a squabble with Mr. Giuliani and was at least partly responsible for Mr. Giuliani's decision to stay on this year and not run for the United States Senate.

Mr. Giuliani acknowledged last week that time was running out and that he would be leaving early next year regardless of which candidate won the Presidential election. The President appoints Federal prosecutors on the recommendations of the Justice Department and the Senator of the same party from the state. That has been Mr. D'Amato until now. Most politicians expect that if Vice President Bush wins, the new Federal prosecutor may not be as tough on Wall Street crime as Mr. Giuliani.

Mr. Giuliani will presumably practice law and watch the Democratic mayoral fight next year with the possibility that if the Democrats are in enough disarray, he may become a Republican candidate for mayor. With Governor Cuomo likely to seek re-election in 1990 and Senator D'Amato in 1992, Mr. Giuliani has few options if he wants to pursue an elective political career. Lobbyists and the Majority

As if State Senate Democrats didn't have enough problems with the indictment of their leader, Senator Manfred Ohrenstein, they are also confronted with a precipitous drop in contributions from lobbyists and others trying to win friends in Albany.

The Democrats had raised only about $53,000 as of early this month, compared with $308,000 in 1986 and the State Senate Republicans' current total of $1.2 million, according to State Board of Elections records.

One effect of the contributions - or lack of them - is to almost insure that incumbents will be re-elected, with Republicans retaining control of the Senate and Democrats retaining control of the Assembly. The Assembly Democrats have raised at least $536,632, compared with the Assembly Republicans' $192,918. Lobbyists love the majority, regardless of party.

The New York State United Teachers, for example, made a $100,000 contribution to both the State Senate Republican Campaign Committee and the Assembly Democratic counterpart. That is one reason that teachers' legislation gets a receptive ear in Albany. Correction Workers Rising

The surge in crime - and punishment - in New York City is demonstrated by the near tripling of city Correction Department personnel in the last 10 years, a report by City Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin said.

There were 11,077 Correction workers as of last June 30 - nearly triple the 4,061 workers in the department 10 years earlier. In the same period, the total number of full-time city employees rose to 231,982, a mere 4 percent increase over 1978, just after the city fiscal crisis. No other city department came anywhere near the increase in the Correction work force, Mr. Goldin reported. The Top PAC Recipients

Democrats often protest about the influence of political action committee contributions on Congress.

But saying is not doing. A Congressional Quarterly list of the 50 top recipients of PAC contributions in the two houses for the 18 months ending in June shows Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, a Democrat, ranking 17th, with $691,823 in PAC donations. In addition, four Democratic House members from New York and only two Republicans from the state are in the top 50 in the House. Their PAC receipts for the period ranged from $198,654 to $270,225.

The Democrats are Representatives Charles B. Rangel of Manhattan, Louise M. Slaughter of Rochester, and Thomas J. Downey and George J. Hochbrueckner of Suffolk. The New York Republicans on the list are Representatives Joseph J. DioGuardi of Westchester and Norman F. Lent of Nassau. Only Mrs. Slaughter, Mr. Hochbrueckner and Mr. DioGuardi face tough challenges in next month's election. Nevermore Young

Asked his age, Senator Moynihan doesn't answer directly but tells a story, as is his custom. Shortly after his 60th birthday 18 months ago, the Senator said, he went to a museum in Corning that charged $1.50 for admission, with a 50-cent discount for those over 60. The Senator thought about it and opted for the discount. ''I sold my youth for 50 cents, and you never go back,'' he said.